Elevator-car



A. E. MUELLER.

ELEVATOR CAR. APPLICATION HLED Aue.3. m5.

1 1 94LA 1|. 1 Patented Aug. 15, 1916. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W/T/VESSES: 5

my "owns PETERSOOYPNOYO-LIVNOY. WASHINGIUN. n c

A. E. MUELLER.

ELEVATOR CAR.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG-3,1915.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ,4 TTORIVE Y m: mmms PEYERs ca. womuma wnsnmn mu. :1 c.

AUG-USTO E. MUELLER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFT EMIL POI-ILI, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELEVATOR-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUsTo E. MUELLER, a citizen of Argentina, who havedeclared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco andState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Elevator-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide a safety device forelevator cars, which can be actuated from within the car by the operatorand passengers, so as to prevent the car from dropping down in case ofaccident.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a device that will act ina positive fashion and not be dependent upon springs.

A further object is to arrange the device so that overloading of the carwill not be detrimental to the operation of the device, but on thecontrary the efl'ectiveness of which will be directly proportional tothe load, that is to say, of which the checking or braking action willbe the stronger the more passengers there are in the car.

A still further object of myinvention is to arrange the device so thatit is easily accessible for repairs or renewal of parts.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts as will behereinafter more fully specified.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification andin which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figure1 is a front elevation of an elevator car equipped with my new device;Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the car and of the new device; Fig. 3is a vertical section of the car as seen in the direction of the arrows33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4- of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is asection on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a bottom view on the ceiling ofthe car showing a part of my device and Fig. 7 is a cross sectionthroughone of the pulleys, showing the winding of the cable thereon.

In the drawings 1 denotes the guide pieces of the elevator shaft onwhich the elevator car C travels up and down and from which the car issuspended in the usual manner by cables 2 carrying the counterbalancingweights 3 and running over pulleys.

The car C has secured to its top 4 lateral pieces 5 which are connectedby the cross bar 6 to which the cables 2 are fixed and by two parallelcross spindles 7 the ends of which are rctatively borne in saidbrackets. Each spindle carries two sets of pulleys 8 and 9, the pulleys8 being arranged adjacent to the inner faces of the brackets and thepulleys 9 being arranged adjacent to the outer faces of the brackets.

Suspend ed within the car G from the ends 10 of two cables 10 is aframework 11 of light but strong material which normally is adapted tolie near the inner face of the top 4 or the ceiling of the car. The ends10 of the cables 10 are passed upwardly through perforations 4 in thetop of the car and are wound around the corresponding inner pulleys 8(Fig. 4) so that on the frame being pulled down the cables unwinding atone end from one pulley and at its opposite end winding around the otherpulley will revolve the spindles 7 and consequently the outer pulleys 9.Owing to the cable connection between the pulleys the latter will movein unison with one another.

Fixed with one end to and wound around the outer pulleys 9 are cables 12the opposite ends 12 of which are attached to lever arms 13 fulcrumed at13 in the brackets 5. There are four such levers, one opposite eachouter roller, and each is extended on the other side of its fulcrum andformed to a toothed. cam piece 13 forming a clutch.

Extending vertically through the elevator shaft and midway between eachpair of clutch arms 13 on each side of the car is a rail 14 with theopposite surfaces of which the corresponding clutches are adapted tocooperate. These clutches are operated by the pulling action exerted onthe frame work 11 through the medium of the cables 10, pulleys 8 and 9and cables 12. It is evident that the stronger the pulling action or theweight on the frame 11 the stronger the pressure of the clutches 13against the rails 14 and the more effectively will the descendingmovement of the car be checked.

For conveniently grasping the frame 11 in order to actuate the clutcharms 13 the former is provided with a number of hanger straps 11. Inrest position the frame is supported by two longitudinal rods 15 eachprovided with a number of fingers 15' and rotatively mounted in suitablebearings 15 15 i lookedin horizontalposition by the bar 16.

7 the operator. Ordinarily the fram'e'll lies.

provided "near the ceiling of the car. The fingers 15 are adaptednormally to engage around the side edges of the frame 11 and hold it inposition near the ceiling. Fulcrumed in the center of the frame 11, asat 11, is a bar 16 which normally is adapted to extend across the frame11 engaging with its ends one of the fingers 15 of each rod and therebylocking the rods 15 in position. One end of'the bar 16 is connected by aWire 17'orthe like to one of the straps 11, as at 11 (Fig. which isnearest tothe stand of v near the ceilingand issupported in thatposition by the fing rs which are held 'The passengers mayffthusjgraspand hang onto thestraps 11" without actuating the clutchesand finda goodsupport during'the rapid travel of thecar. 'In case of accident theoperator can effect the release of the frame 11 from the supportingfingers 15 by pulling one of the straps 11 which will turn thelockingbar 16 releasing the rods 15 which-'will'be turned around disengagingtheir fingers l5 rfrom the frame 11. 'The passengers on grasping andpulling the hanger straps 11" will in the aforedescribed manner causethe clutch arms 13 to turn so as to engage the rails 14 and to check thecar and thus prevent it from dropping down. The stronger thepull on thestraps the more. effective will be the braking action of the clutches13I In order to enable theoperator to stop the car or to release theclutches at any desired j point,'.I provide the following mechanism: 7Extending centrally and verticallyalong the inner slides of the car aretwofbars 17 which with" their lower ends pass outwardly through the carand are connected by a cross bar 17 extending over the'outer face of thebottomki of the car (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). These bars are supported to. bemovable in vertical direction and rest with the cross bar 17 onsprings'18 secured to the car (Figs. 3 and 4) The upper ends 17 a ofthese bars are formed at their side surfaces to racks (Fig. 3).Projecting from the clutch arms 13 through recesses in the brackets 5.arepins 19 which engage with their free ends grooves 20 made in arms 20.These arms are fulcrumedadjacentto the inner faces of the brackets 5 onthe same axes as the, clutch levers '13 and are adaptedby reason of thepin coupling to swinginunisonwiththe said clutch 1evers. Ther'eare fourlevers20 and each is sectors '20? will moy'e V the bars slightlyupwardly.

tute for the hitherto used brakes, or as an platform-or treadleQZ-ishinged on the bottom ofthe car, as at 22', and carries at its freeend a pin 23 which projects outwardly through a slot 4& made in thebottom of the car to rest against the cross bar 17, connecting the bars17 (Fig. 3). By stepping on the said treadle the operator will depressthe bars 17 and through the racks 17 transmit motion to sectors 20.device is positively actuated and is not de pendent uponthe elasticityof the springs.

The new device may be used as a substi- 30 auxiliary device and in thelatter case may be readily applied to old elevator cars withoutrequiring any material changes in the construction of the car.

7 What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means and members serving normally assupports for the passengers and connectedto said braking means tooperate the latter in case of accident.

2. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, members serving normally as supportsfor the passengers and connected to said braking means to operate thelatter in case of accident and locking means for said members tonormally hold the same locked.

3. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means and actuating means therefor,including gripping members normally inoperative and serving as supportsfor the passengers.

1. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating. means therefor, includinggripping members extending from the ceiling of the car to be within thereach of the passengers to operate said braking means by pulling thereonand locking means for normally locking said gripping members ininoperative position so that the latter will serve as supports for thepassengers without operating said braking means.

5. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, com prising braking means, and actuating means therefor,including a frame Work suspended vnear the ceiling of the car and havinggripthe ceiling of the car and having gripping members for thepassengers to operate said braking means and locking means for normallylocking said frame in inoperative position so that the gripping memberswill serve as supports for the passengers without operating the saidbraking means.

7 In an elevator, the combination With the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means and actuating means therefor,including a frame work suspended near the ceiling of the car and havinghanger straps normally inoperative and serving as supports for thepassengers.

8. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, and actuating means therefor,flexible means operatively connected to said checking means and a framesuspended from said flexible means near the ceiling of the car andhaving gripping members normally inoperative and serving as supports forthe passengers.

9. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor, includinggripping members extending down from the ceiling of the car to be withinthe reach of the operator and passengers to operate the said checkingmeans by pulling thereon and locking means controlled from the operatorsstand to normally lock the said gripping members in inoperative positionso that the same will serve as supports for the passengers withoutoperating the said braking means.

10. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor, includinggripping members extending down from the ceiling of the car and to bewithin the reach of the operator and passengers to operate the saidbraking means by pulling action, a locking device for said grippingmembers to normally look the said gripping members in inoperativeposition so that the same will serve as supports for the passengerswithout operating said braking means and a connection between one of thegripping members serving for the operator and the said locking device,so that by pulling the said gripping member the said locking device willunlock the said members to render the same operative.

11. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor including avertically movable frame suspended near the ceiling of the car andhaving hanger straps to be within the reach of the passengers, andflexible connections between said frame and said braking means totransmit motion to the latter when said frame is pulled downwardly.

12. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor, includingpulleys, cables wound around the same and having their ends passed intothe car, a frame work suspended from the ends of said cables near theceiling of the car and having gripping members to be within the reach ofthe passengers to operate the said braking means by pulling thereon.

13. In an elevator, the combination with guide rails extending throughthe elevator shaft and the car, of a safety device, com prising brakingmeans, adapted to cooperate with said rails and supported on said car,and actuating means within the latter normally serving as supports forthe passengers and adapted when operative and when pulled upon tooperate said braking members in case of accident.

14:. In an elevator, the combination with guide rails extending throughthe elevator shaft and the car, of a safety device, comprising brakinglevers fnlcrumed to the car and adapted to cooperate with said rails andactuating means therefor, including cables, a frame work suspended fromsaid cables near the ceiling of the car and having gripping membersnormally serving as supports for the passengers and adapted whenoperative and when pulled upon to operate said levers.

15. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety device,comprising braking moans, actuating means therefor, including avertically movable frame suspended near the ceiling of the car andhaving gripping members to be within the reach of the passengers tooperate said braking means in case of accident by pulling thereon,supportin means within the car to normally hold the said frame ininoperative position and a locking device on said frame for lock ingsaid supporting means and controlled from the operators stand.

16. In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor, includingmeans extending from the ceiling of the car normally serving as supportsfor the passengers, and means at the operators stand for releasing thebraking means at any desired time.

17 In an elevator, the combination with the car, of a safety devicetherefor, coinprising braking means, actuating means therefor, extendingfrom the ceiling of the car to be within the reach of and controlled bythe passengers, and a movable platform at the operators standoperatively connected to said checking means for releasing the latter atany desired time.

18. In an elevator, the combination with the car, a safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor extendingfrom the ceiling of the car to be Within the reach of and controlled byvthe passengers, and means for releasing said braking means andcomprising vertically movable members operatively connected to saidbraking means and a movable Platform at the operators stand forcontrolling said vertically movable members.

19. In an elevator, the combination with the ear, ofa'safety devicetherefor, comprising braking means, actuating means therefor, extendingfrom thereeillng of the ear to be Within the reach of and controlled bthe passen ers andmeansfor releasm x b 7 l 1 said braking means; andfcomprising vertically movable" racks supported on said car 1 l u Itoothed sector arms meshing W1th said racks and operatively conneeted'tosaid braking 1 the said braking means at any desired time and comprisingvertically movable spring actuated racks supported on said car, toothedsector arms meshing With said racks and operatlvely connected to saidbraking means and a movable platform at the operators Copies of thispatent may be obtained for standfor controlling the movement of saidvertical racks.

21. An elevator car, comprising cross spindles rotatively supported ontop of said ear, two sets of pulleys fixed on said spindles, cablesrunning over the pulleys of one set and connecting said spindles so asto turn in unison With one another, braking arms fulcrumed to the top ofsaid car, cables running over the pulleys of the second set andconnected to said braking arms, and a frame suspended. from the ends ofthe cables of the first named set of pulleys and located Within and nearthe ceiling of the car, said frame beingadapted to be controlled by thepassengers and to operate the said braking means-through the medium ofsaid cables and pulleys by pulling on said frame.

22. An elevator car, comprising braking arms fulcrumed on top of thecar, a passenger controlled frame suspended within and near the ceilingof the car and operatively connected to said braking arms, verticallymovable racks supported on the car, toothed sector arms meshing withsaid racks and connected to said braking arms and a movable platform inthe car serving to operate said movable racks into inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUSTO E. MUELLER. Witnesses:

FRANK J. BLAKE, FRED SAARLS, Jr.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,11.0.

